Akron man pleads guilty to shooting woman last summer in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park

An Akron man pleaded guilty to shooting a woman in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park last year, said David A. Sierleja, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland Office.

DeZay M. Ely, 28, is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 24. He pleaded guilty to attempted murder, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and being a felon in possession of ammunition.

Ely attempted to kill a woman on July 3, 2016, by shooting her in the head, according to court documents.

“This defendant used a gun in a national park to try to murder a woman,” Sierleja said. “We will continue to use all the tools available to us to prosecute and punish violent criminals.”

Anthony said: “Law enforcement is pleased that Dezay Ely is accepting responsibility for the horrific crime he and his associates committed against an innocent victim. The collaboration between the FBI, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Service, BCI and the public was invaluable to identifying and holding Ely accountable for this senseless crime.”

Attempted murder carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. Discharging a firearm during a crime of violence carries a mandatory minimum consecutive term of 10 years in prison.

Raymond T. Moore III, 27, of Akron, was also involved in the shooting. His case remains pending.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly L. Galvin and Linda Barr following an investigation by the FBI, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Police and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.